EDF Renewable Energy to supply 200MW of wind energy to Google

EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE) has signed an agreement to supply 200MW of wind energy produced from the new Glaciers Edge Wind Project in Iowa to Google, a subsidiary company of Alphabet.

Glaciers Edge Wind Project is situated in Cherokee County in the northwestern part of Iowa. This project is expected to create over 150 jobs during the construction phase besides injecting millions of dollars into the local economy.

The wind farm is expected to become operational in December 2019. Glaciers Edge will take EDF RE’s portfolio of wind project development to 1.1 GW in Iowa.

EDF RE director for power marketing Dai Owen said: “The strong U.S. wind market relies in part on America’s corporate sector and companies like Google, who through the purchase of wind energy demonstrate leadership in the drive for a low-carbon economy.

“Their commitment allows Glaciers Edge to proceed, providing an economic boost to the Iowa economy, through new construction and operations jobs, expanded tax base, and recurring, long-term income for participating landowners.”

Owen further added: “The strong U.S. wind market relies in part on America’s corporate sector and companies like Google, who through the purchase of wind energy demonstrate leadership in the drive for a low-carbon economy. Their commitment allows Glaciers Edge to proceed, providing an economic boost to the Iowa economy, through new construction and operations jobs, expanded tax base, and recurring, long-term income for participating landowners.”

Google director of global infrastructure Gary Demasi said: “Renewables from projects like Glaciers Edge bring value to our business as we scale and accelerate investment in the communities where we operate.

“With solar and wind declining dramatically in cost and propelling significant employment growth, the transition to clean energy is driving unprecedented economic opportunity and doing so faster than we ever anticipated.”

EDF RE and Google entered into relationship in 2012, during when the search engine firm made an equity investment of approximately $200m in EDF RE’s Spinning Spur Wind Project in Texas.

In 2016, the partnership advanced with an agreement signed by Google for the purchase of 225MW power from the Great Western Wind Project in Oklahoma.